Choosing the narration format is one of the most critical choices of documentary production.


Documentaries are productions for cinema, television, or radio that are designed to document truth in some manner. They might have a number of purposes, such as informing people of a particular cause or telling a dramatic true tale. They might even be largely without narrative and just be documenting the mood or reality of a particular destination and time. But, simply because they typically have an intention centring around informing or explaining, it is very common for there to be some sort of device to guide the viewer. Tim Parker will know that voiceover narration was incredibly popular since sound was first put into film, immediately being included to the newsreels that were popular at that time. The narrator doesn't appear on screen and their role is merely focused on reading a script that describes or complements the footage. The narrator can also be active in the production, such as by being the director, however it is also typical for them to have no other involvement.


The first few decades of the history of cinema consisted entirely of silent films. This changed just below a century ago, once sound was initially added and filmmakers possessed a totally new additional element they could add to their movies. Nevertheless, simply because sound is available does not mean that filmmakers need to oversaturate their films with every feasible sound imaginable. Some films just depend on natural sounds, for instance, while others add no music at all. Rachel Wang is going to be well aware that some documentaries include no narration. These silent narration documentaries alternatively inform people by a combination of the knowledge gained from interviews and title screens. Also referred to as intertitles or title cards, these are screens held for a number of seconds to allow words to appear for the viewers to read.


Documentaries have actually traditionally been seen as a more anonymous form of filmmaking. This is in stark contrast to narrative feature films, in which both the crew and cast can be filled up with world-famous celebrities. In fact, there actually has been people that have made a name for themselves via documentary filmmaking. Several individuals have done so by using hosted narration. Soleta Rogan will be able to inform you that a narrator host is a person who conducts interviews, appears on camera, and completes voiceovers for the documentary. This can make the documentary seem like the hosts personal journey and may give a natural impression, as more traditionally behind the scenes elements could be included to the last cut. This is because other narration styles need more editing to make certain members of the production are not on-screen. The hosted technique consequently allows capturing footage of the difficulties productions have, like having interviews unexpectedly denied or threatening encounters with people who do not need to become filmed.